And So It Went
by LadeeBear
Summary: So life went on. And so it went. And always would. [some DL] A bit different from anything that I have done, so take a look and tell me what you think of it.


**Just something a little bit different. I had this idea I was toying with for a while, so let me know if you like it or not. I do not own anyone in this story besides Lillian and Jackson, so don't steal, please. Be sure to hit that button that says 'Submit Review'!**

"_Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." – Gandhi_

_---------------_

I turn to face the brilliantly blinding light and smile, listening to chords of peaceful music linger in the air. A sense of warmth washes over me, as I kneel down next to a lake, sheltered under a luscious fig tree. The water is cool, placid, and crystal – perfect in every sense of the word. I am illuminated by golden light, feeling light, quite suddenly. Yes, I feel light and warm…

_The streets of New York City – so cold, so damp, so unwelcoming. _

I sigh and inhale deeply, nearly coughing as I do so. Smoke, dark and potent, fills my lungs and tickles my throat. A place I once called home. Once upon a time, as it were. A place filled with darkness, most days, and fog. And yet, there always seemed to be a sliver of light. I wished that I could find that light. And still, I sat on the park bench, watching, observing – always watching and always observing. I smiled, and someone caught my eye. Bare feet brushing along the dew-covered grass, I walked towards him, and stopped short, a smile gracing my features and lighting up my heart.

She was with him.

The woman was beautiful in her own simple way – a trait that was hard to say whether she possessed, or whether _it _possessed _her_. But all the same, all the same, she was beautiful. Beautiful and simple. Exactly what he needed. And I knew it. I listened to the soft rustle of the autumn leaves and watched her eyes. I watched _his _eyes. He had the kind of blue eyes that resembled the ocean – when he was calm, they were brilliant and blue, gleaming, glittering. When he was upset, they were like waves, crashing and trembling. And when he was sad – his eyes reflected even that. The blue was darker, threatening, and sullen and yet a strange sense of hope was always left lit in it. Always left burning. A fire of blue, an eternal thing. I never understood it then – how could I? – but I understand it now. I understand the blue flames, rising up from behind shallow depths, yearning for some comfort. And I understand his gazes, his fixedness on her, his fixedness on the sky – he was watching. He was always watching.

And then there was her – a petite woman, yet strong. Everything I expected her to be, everything I anticipated, and more. She was a calm woman, with gentle eyes – warm, rich, inviting. The kind of eyes that welcomed you into the soul, the very heart of who she was. And _that _was who she was. She was the heart – the essential part of love, of life, of joy, or pain. She was all of it. She was more than all of it. And I smiled, knowing that she _was _it.

They walked, and I followed, beautiful golden leaves raining down on me and them. Where they were headed was certain, and my peaked interest led me behind them still. The wind grew colder, and the man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, offering her the jacket that she wore. She contemplated for a moment, and then accepted, pulling the warm fabric snuggly over her tiny body. I could see auburn, and knew that she was there. Still, the pair walked in silence and I knew that silence was their company. I looked up towards Heaven – an azure sky was fading behind light grey clouds. But I knew it wouldn't rain. No, it wouldn't rain today.

The sun poked through the grey horizon, illuminating the ground below it. I felt the warmth of the sunlight wash my body, cleansing it and uplifting it. I closed my eyes and was taken away.

When I opened my eyes again, I sighed, waiting for the same couple to pass through my line of vision. As I sat atop the roof of the small church, I contemplated. I always seemed to contemplate. And I contemplated the man first – just like I had always done.

He was not a simple man, and yet he was, all in the same breath. He was kind-hearted and playful, but passionate and sporadic. He was not organized at all. A laugh escaped my lips. No, he was not organized at all. Yet, he was sweet, even if he admitted it to no one – I knew it. He admitted it to me every day. He had a heart, a soft heart, that was easily broken and easily battered – and yet no one knew this either. Except for me. And her. She knew it too. He was comedic and flirtatious. He was charming and yet as stubborn as a mule. He was gentle, he was tough. He was sarcastic, he was compassionate. He was loud, he was reserved. He was an oxymoron of concepts. His life was always that way, and would always be.

She was quiet, but determined. The kind of woman whom you knew would work hard to achieve her goal, and never brag about what she had done. She was simple, plain, and magnetic – her smile was infectious, and you would soon be laughing along with her, whether or not you found the joke funny. She had a kindred spirit, with a warm heart. She was feisty. I laughed. Thank God that she was feisty. She could hold her own in an argument and never back down. She was smart – she was extremely intelligent and devoted to her work. But she was also fun. She was fun in a sense that whenever you were with her, you felt lighter, felt happier, felt like the world had brushed your fingertips, and for a moment everything was alright. I sighed and thought more about the woman. She was sensitive, and often times emotional. She was an introvert, never revealing what was hidden inside of her heart. She guarded herself against heartache – or she tried. She could never avoid it fully. But she was lovable, and she was sweet. And she was simply what he needed.

At first, I might have laughed if you had told me that about him and her. _Two opposites? A good girl and a bad boy? Oh, sure. You can pretend it will work. But I doubt it. _But now, I neither scoffed nor doubted the perfect connection between the two. And I would like to think that it had _something _to do with me, and though I wouldn't be entirely wrong, I can not take all of the credit. I can only take away a small piece of the outcome and claim it as my own. Everything else just happened.

It happened that their relationship expanded, it grew into what it was now, and what it would be. She needed him, and he needed her. She wanted someone to hold her, and he desired someone to understand him. She wanted a protector, and he wanted to care for her. She longed for his affectionate teasing, and he gave it to her. He needed someone who would be strong, and she proved to be his support. She wanted to find happiness, and he wanted to find love. Though he would not admit it; he wanted love. A love that would last until the end of time, an encompassing love that knew no restraints. Not a one-night stand, not a girlfriend, not just a friend or a colleague – he wanted love. And she loved him. And when his eyes sparkled, they told her what his mouth confirmed – he loved her.

A robin landed next to me, and tilted its head, as if studying what was sitting beside it. I held out my hand, palm outstretched. _No food here, little one._ The bird looked at me curiously, beady eyes glittering and it let out a chirp. I glanced down and saw two figures moving across the lawn. I winked at the bird and slid down the one-story roof towards Earth.

My feet made contact once more with the soft grass. I knelt down and picked up a perfectly formed sienna-colored leaf and turned it over in my palm. Ah, the wonders of nature. How could I have missed such things before? It was all too beautiful, and all too simplistic. But that was the beauty – the leaf was awe-inspiring _because _it was beautiful. And I shook my head, watching the leaf tumble out of my hand and back onto the ground.

I stayed in step with the couple, and they talked very little – mostly they conversed in hushed whispers, in gentle words. They made their way across the neatly kept lawn, and I noticed that the woman was clutching flowers. Who had died? The bouquet was stunning and beautiful – bright sunflowers, yellow dandelions, delicate buttercups, mango calla lilies – the flowers were stunning. I followed shortly behind the couple now, curious as to see whom they were visiting with such a display. They turned, and walked down a row of tombstones, and I felt a chill – the chill of death – upon my back.

They stopped at a marble tombstone and faced it, both kneeling down onto the damp grass. I peered over their shoulders and read the name, shaking my head. _Aiden Burn. A friend, a colleague, and hero. _I read the date and exhaled, my breath lightly grazing the top of her head. She looked up, and looked around, as I stood beside the tombstone. Her gaze pierced me – the pain she felt was real. She turned her eyes back down to the name on the tombstone, as she delicately placed the bouquet of flowers on the ground next to it. I stood silent behind them, watching over their knelt bodies.

"Hey Aiden," he said at last. Her shoulder was on his arm. Comfort. Protection. "I miss ya. And I want ya to know that I hope that you're proud of me…proud of all of us. It isn't the same without ya. You used to be a pain in the ass sometimes," he said with a light chuckle. I could hear his voice begin to break. "but ya still put up with me. And I'm gonna be forever grateful to ya for that. I wish you could see me now, Aid. You wouldn't believe how much I've changed."

I smiled sadly at the young man knelt below me. He turned to his left and faced the woman, both of their eyes locking and remaining steady, constant. "I've changed, Aid, because I met someone…someone I care about…someone I love."

The woman looked at the name on the tombstone and sighed lightly. "I wish I could have met you, Aiden. I think I would have really liked you, from all that I have heard about you. You seem like you were an amazing person. And I hope that _I'm _making you proud. I'm sorry that I took your place, but…"

The man put a hand on the young woman's shoulders, giving them a light squeeze of assurance. "You don't have to be Aiden. I love you for who you are."

The woman looked up at him, tears clouding her chocolate eyes. "I just feel like I should have…that maybe everyone still thinks I am her replacement and I…"

"…and remember that even if everyone else thinks that way, I don't."

The woman sniffed her tears away and smiled, thankful for the love of the young man. "I love you Danny."

I watched the couple stare silently at the marble tombstone for a moment longer, before they rose together and began to walk away. I watched their receding figures – his arm was around her waist, pulling her close, and keeping her safe and warm. She turned around once, to look at the grave, and an expression of sorrow etched across her beautiful face. I shook my head sadly, and she turned back around. When the pair was out of sight, I knelt down beside the grave and picked up the bouquet. Smiling, I touched the soft petals of the flowers and began to walk towards where the sun was setting.

Brilliant shades of orange, violet, and red illuminated the horizon. I held the flowers close to my bosom, as if at any moment they would be snatched away from me. I had to smile. I had never wed, and for some reason I felt as though I was a bride, clutching her bouquet of flowers, walking down the aisle towards her groom. My groom was the sun, and my aisle was row of grass that separated tomb from tomb. Dark hair flowing behind me, I grinned. I felt as if I were floating along the earth, and that the earth and I were becoming one.

I stopped, next to a random grave and glance back behind me at the rows upon rows of tombstones. Finally, I decide upon something. I pluck a petal from the sunflower and drop it on the soft earth next to _Lillian Johnson. You will forever remain our angel. _I stare at the fallen petal for a moment before a notice a pale white hand at my feet. I smile and stare at a young girl with bright green eyes and red hair, plaited in two neat braids. She looks at the petal and cradles it in her hand, smiling, silently thanking me. I hand her a flower and she removes one more petal and walks down a little further towards a whitewashed tombstone. She places the petal on the ground. _Jackson Daniels. You are the light of our lives. We will always love you. _A young man picked up the sunflower petal and smiled his appreciation before I handed him a flower. Lillian was already placing more petals on more tombstones, like an innocent flower girl. I took a petal off of the dandelion and walked purposefully towards a grave.

Kneeling down, I read the tombstone. _Claire Taylor. _

I placed the yellow petal on the ground and felt a hand on my shoulder. The beautiful woman stared at me, her other palm clenching a white rose bouquet. Innocence. Claire was a beautiful woman, with stunning eyes and silky hair. She smiled vibrantly, lips a light shade of pink, and skin glowing. A white pool of fabric collected at her feet, as she motioned for me to follow her. I stood, and walked along with the young woman, her white dress flowing behind her as she walked. We walked for a while, and finally, she took my hand and stared inside of the glass walls – smiling radiantly. I peered in and couldn't help but smile.

Danny was inside with Lindsay, poking her in the side, causing the latter to react in a fit of giggles. Hawkes was watching, bemused, and Flack stood next to his colleague, muttering something about Danny being a flirt. Mac and Stella entered, smiling and laughing with their friends and colleagues.

"Life," Claire breathed, her voice as gentle as a whisper. I stared up at her and nodded. So, life went on. And so it went. And always would.

I looked at the remaining dandelions and sunflowers in my hand, and smiled, walking back towards the cemetery. Kneeling down next to my own grave, I grinned. The wind whispered in the trees and cricket chirps could be heard. The night was beginning to appear and it was time for me to leave.

I stood up, brushing the dirt off of my white dress. Claire was standing just behind me, still smiling. She extended her hand and I took it. Together, we walked towards the sunset, towards the first appearing stars.

I turned around only once, and watched the cemetery fade from view.

So life went on. And so it went. And always would.

**Just something a little bit different. I hope you all enjoyed it! And, for those of you who didn't realize it, the narrator was Aiden, after her death. **


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